CyIIa, a cytoskeletal actin gene of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, is expressed specifically though transiently in the embryonic skeletogenic and secondary mesenchyme and, later in development, is permanently activated in the hindgut and midgut. CyIIa transcription follows, and is therefore downstream of, the initial specification of these embryonic domains. A detailed functional analysis of the cis-regulatory system governing the rate and the location of CyIIa expression during development was carried out using GFP expression constructs. About 4.4 kb of CyIIa sequence including a leader intron were examined for cis-regulatory function. Distal elements scattered over several kb account for 60% of the quantitative output of the expression construct and a strong amplifier of expression is located within the leader intron. However, the complex spatial pattern of CyIIa expression is completely reproduced by a compact upstream regulatory element <450 bp in length. We found no evidence anywhere in the 4.4 kb sequence examined for negative regulators required to repress ectopic expression. The specific site that mediates CyIIa expression in the midgut in late embryos and larvae was identified. This site is the same as that necessary and sufficient for midgut expression of the Endo16 gene late in development, and was shown to bind the same transcription factor. Except for some temporal and quantitative features, the S. purpuratus expression construct is expressed accurately and specifically in the same diverse cell types when introduced into embryos of Lytechinus pictus, which belongs to a different echinoid order. No ectopic expression was observed, in contrast to the result of a similar interspecific gene transfer experiment carried out earlier on a different cytoskeletal actin gene that is expressed much earlier in development. Presentation of the set of transcription factors that activate CyIIa in the differentiated cells in which it is expressed is apparently a conserved feature of these cell types.
Development Journal Meeting 2022: From Stem Cells to Human Development
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Following a virtual meeting in 2020, we are delighted to announce that the fifth iteration of our popular Journal Meeting will be held from 11-14 September 2022 at the historic Wotton House, Surrey. Registration is open now.
Special Issue: The Immune System in Development and Regeneration
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Our latest special issue is now complete. It showcases articles that add to the repertoire of immune cell functions during development, repair and regeneration, and provide insights into the developmental pathways leading to the generation and dispersal of these cells. You can watch recordings from our Development presents... webinar celebrating the special issue here.
Propose a new Workshop
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Our Workshops bring together leading experts and early-career researchers from a range of scientific backgrounds. Applications are now open to propose Workshops for 2024, one of which will be held in a Global South country.
Preprints in Development
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As part of our efforts to support the use of preprints and help curate the preprint literature, we are delighted to launch a new article type: ‘In preprints’. These pieces will discuss one or more recent preprints and place them in a broader context. You can read the first article here.
FocalPlane Network launched
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Like the Node Network, the aim of the FocalPlane Network is to facilitate promotion and networking as well as assist those seeking conference speakers, committee members, reviewers or collaborators. We hope that it will help promote diversity in the community. Find out more and join the Network here.
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